What is Medicare?

Medicare is health insurance for the following

• People age 65 or older
  

• People under age 65 with certain disabilities
  

• People of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant)
  

The Different Parts of Medicare

The different parts of Medicare help cover specific services. Medicare has the following parts:

Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals

Helps cover skilled nursing facility, hospice, and home health care

Helps cover doctors' services, outpatient care, and home health care

Helps cover some preventive services to help maintain your health and to keep certain illnesses from getting worse

A health coverage option run by private insurance companies approved by and under contract with Medicare

Includes Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, and usually other coverage like Part D (Prescription Drugs)

A prescription drug option run by private insurance companies approved by and under contract with Medicare

Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs

May help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future

• Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)
  

• Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)
  

• Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans, like an HMO or PPO)
  

• Medicare Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage)
  

• Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance)
  

Covering the "Gaps"

Original Medicare pays for many, but not all, health care services and supplies. A Medigap policy, sold by private insurance companies, can help pay some of the health care costs ("gaps") that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.